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C. L. GOUGHNOUR.

VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLlcATloN man DEc.4.y1912. RENEwED FEB. 12,1915.

1 ,3 1 6,442 Patented Sept. 16, 1919.

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VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLICATloN FILED DEc.4. |912. RENEWED FEB. 12,1916.

1,316,442. Patente-1180111. 16, 1919.

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VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLICATION HLED DEc.4.1912. RENEwED FEB. 12,1916.

l ,3 1 6,442 Patented Sept. 16, 1919.

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@Ji/humaan C. L. GOUGHNOUR.

VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLHJATION HLED DEC.4.1912. RENEWED FEB. 12.1916.

1 ,3 l 6,442 Patented Sept. 16, 1919.

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efficiency of a vacuum cleaner does not de- MTE@ STATE PATENT @FFECEQ CHARLES L. G-OUG-HNO'UR, OF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB T0 THE UN'ITED ELECTRIC COMPAIW, 0F CANIGN, OHIO, A GORPORATION OF OHIO.

VCUUM-CLEANER.

Original application led July 26, 190,9, Serial No. @$482. Divided and this application filed December 4, 1912, Serial No. 734,903. Renewed February 12, 1916. Serial No. 78,076.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, CHARLES L. Gonon- NoUR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pasadena, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Vacuiun-Cleane'r,` of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a machine and apparatus for cleaning carpets, draperles, floors, walls and other objects and surfaces by means of suction through a tube having a suitable mouth piece or nozzle; and this application is a division or continu-ation of my original application iled July 26, 1909, Serial No. 509,482, and of my first divisional application filed Nov. 18, 1909, Serial No. 528,692.

The general object of the improvement is to Provide an air-cleaning apparatus which shall be efficient in operation with a minimum consumption of power, and so simple in construction' as to render the apparatus available for use `in individual homes.

In the practical development of the art of 1 vacuum cleaning, it has been found that the pend so much upon the amount of vacuum which can be created either 1n the separating chamber or in the suction nozzle, but

rat-her u on the volume and the velocity of the air which can be continuously drawn into and through the suction nozzle. ln other words, the cleanin of a f-abric or other object is not aocomp ished by the pressure of the air, but` by the movementor momentum of the air in ypassing through or along the object or surface to be cleaned.

And again, in the practical development of the art, it has been found that a laterally elongated suction nozzle having an inlet slot of from ten to fourteen inches long and from one-fourth to one-half of an inch wide with surrounding lips adapted to Contact directly with the objective surface, is thel most convenient, kind of Ltool for general work; and it has furthermore been found that the most efficient results in the use of such a nozzle are attained by the movementA tional in the art, and the ultimate problem move a lar e volume of air; but the use of such fans or the purpose intended did not result in a practically or commercially successful apparatus, no doubt because the large volume capacity was not accompanied with a suliiciently positive action to move the de-v sired amount of air at the proper velocity through the comparatively constricted slot of the suction nozzle. v

More recent inventors in the development of the art have sought to solve the problem by the use of some form of positive'pump, either of the piston, diaphragm or rota type; and it is evident that a very hig vacuum can be produced within the apparatus by such a form of plump, and that when the suction nozzle is completely closed, such high vacuum will extend to and be present in the nozzle. But it is likewise obvious that when the mouth of the nozzle is partioally or entirel open for-performin .its functions as a cllianng tool. the inrus infg air will rapidly lill the cavity of the apparatus, and whatever may be the initial volume per minute of such inrushing air, the

samer cannot be'maintained at the desiredv rate lof eighty cubic feet per minute, unless the suction pump has a capacity for exhausting a. like Iamount of air from the apparatus, i

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fThe continuous movement of such a large volume of air, renders the use of the forms 'been vemploy-3d in vacuum cleaners, tindesuch types of pumps can only exhaust the same at an excessive, if not aprohilbitiveexpense of power'.` And a furtherpwaste of power results'from the fanti-that when the opening of the nozzle is closed or partially closed, as frequently occurs in the use of the "of positive pumps which have heretofore to move the nozzle 'along such surface; and

when the nozzle is partially or Wholly opened, the excessive velocity of the inrushing air unduly wears and sometimes tears the bers of an objective fabric. l

The present invention overcomes the difculties thus briefly set forth, by combining a positive centrifugal fan with the other elements making up a, vacuum cleaner; thereby overcoming t-he inethciency of the ordinary centrifugal len on the one hand, and the excessive waste oi power involved in the use of the various positive pumps heretoore employed, on the other hand. ln .other words, the invention embodies an er:- ha-usting fan having the capacity of con-A tinuously moving a large volume air with a sutiiciently positive action to most iciently perform `the work of cleaning at the nozzle, without the use or waste ot excessive or prohibitive amount et power.

@ther important .tentures et the. invention pertain to the proportions and position et the separating chamber and its arrangement with reference to the inlet, the outiet and an intervening screen, when a screen is used, whereby he dust other articles of retuse are segregated from the larger floating particles thereof and deposited in the bottom ci the separating chamber; it being the specialpurpos'e and result ot this featureot the invention to'segregate and deposit the dust and other articles of refuse from the larger float-ing articles by the action ot gravity as distinguished from. any method ot screening or lfiltering the saine, the coarse screen when'used, being employed to stop 'the larger iuy articles, as tor4 instance, feathers, lint and the like, from passing into the blower and lodging against the edges ot' the blades thereof.

To this end, the centritugai ian employed serves to positively draw the air at a coniparatively slow constant speed, from the upper part ot' the separating chamber, preiterably near the axis thereof, and to discharge it at a relatively rapid speed from the periphery of the fan, without undue agitation or churning of the air within the chamber or the fan, which action of the fan permits a most complete segregation of the dust and refuse within the separating chamber.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention in an apparatus and machine, by which the general objects thus briefiy set forth, and an- Laissez cillary advantages, are attained; in which drawings- Figure l is a perspective view of the machine and apparatus as a whole;

Fig. 2, is a side elevation of the case, showing the upper part thereof and the centrifugal fan and the motor in section;

Fig. 3, an enlarged section of the centrifugal tan and adjacent parts; and

Fig. l, a plan view of the case, with parts broken away to show details on the centri t'- ugal fan;

Similar numerals refer to similar partsy l throughout the drawings..

The case l ot the separating chamber 2 is preferably made in the form of a verticallyelongated. upright-cylinder, provided with the bottom closure 3 and a top closure consisting ot the lower wall 4 of the case of the fan 5; the upper wall 6 of which fan case preferably forms the bottom of the case T ot the motor 8, which is preferably an 'electric motor as shown. The separating chamber should be at least as high as its diameter, and is preferably made two or three or more times as high as its diameter when it is shaped as a cylinder, and should have a similar height with reference to its average crosssection or corresponding cross-area when it is shaped otherwise; thus producing a separating chamber of substantial height and volume.-

lhe suction tube is provided with the tapered bushing l0 on its near end. which bushing is adaptedtc be entered and wedged into the inversely-tapered round inlet yopening ll provided in the upper part ot the case, preferably in the side wall and above the middle thereof; and the door l2 is hinged above said opening and is arranged to drop by gravity to close the opening whenever the tube is withdrawn therefrom, thus insuring a complete closure of the separating chamber at all times. The nozzle 9, conventionally shown in l of the drawings, is provided on the remote end ot the suction tube, which nozzle'is applied to the object or 'surface to be cleaned, according to the common practice in the art.

The dciecting plate 13 may be provided in the case, and when used, extends from the wall above the inlet opening 1l, inward and downward in front of the same, and serves to positively deflect the heavier refuse downwardinto the lower portion of the separating chamber, and prevents the same 'from striking and cutting the. opposite wall of the case. rl`he deilecting plate is vof substantially the same width as the opening ot' the inlet tube, so that its side edges stand away from the wall of the. chamber, which permits the greater portion of the incoming air to pass the sides of the plate, thus avoiding an .agitation of the air in the lower part of the chamber.

' The substantial heightiand volume of the separating chamber and the comparatively slow movement'of air from the upper end thereof maintains such a uniform quiescent condition of the rareiied air therein that upon entering the chamber substantially all the dust and refuse drops or falls to the bottom of the chamber by the action of gravity and only the larger fluHy articles and the iinpalpable dust are carried upward by the suction of the fan; of which the larger fluffy articles may be caught by the screen 14, and the very iine impalpable dust may be discharged through the fan without interfering with the operation thereof.

The coarse screen 14 is preferably provided in the case,and extends transversely a cross the separating chamber above the inlet opening 11 at a substantial distance below the opening l'leading from the separating chamber'to the fan. This screen is not made iine enough, nor is it intended to stop or separate the dust and other articles of refuse from the air; but is merely employed to stop the fioating articles, such as feathers and the like, which would otherwise be drawn into the fan and might lodge against thel inner edges of the bladesthereof and obstruct the free operation of the same.

The centrifugal fan or impeller 5 is conveniently secured by its hub 16 to the lower end of the spindle 17 of the motor, with which it is adapted to rotate; and is composed of vthe upper wall 18, the lower wall 19 andthe intervening vanes 20. The upper wall 18 may curve first upward and outward to the periphery of the fan, and the inner edge portion of the lower wall 19 may be located sub- Stantially as a ring around and at an interval from the hub of the fan; thus forming the annular intake chamber 15 of the fan communicating directly and freely with the upper art of the separating chamberand prefer-a ly located substantially co-axial therewith. Thence the lower wall 19, curves upward and outward to the periphery of the ian, and in so doing gradually converges toward the upper wall, so that the outlet 2].

of the fan is substantially in the form of a peripheral slot. It will be understood that the free communication between the intake chamber of the fan and the upper part of The separating chamber referred to herein, relates to the absence of an intervening element, as for example a dust iltering screen;- and is not intended to require either the immediate proximity or the particular alinement of these parts, herein shown.

The convergin relation of the walls of the fan is such t at the annular cross area of the cavity between the walls is substantially the same at all points between its annular intake chamber and its peripheral outlet slot. The vanes of the fan are.' preferably located in radial lines and extend from the annularl intake chamber to the peripheral outletslOt, so that the cross-section of the air passages are substantially uniform from the intake chamber to the outlet of the fan, thus forming what is referred to herein as a positive centrifugal fan. rlhe fan may be constructed by forming a portion of the upper wall and the whole of the vanes integral ,with the hub, and securing the remainder of thereof, outside of which they diverge and again converge and are joined together and form the tubular channel 24 around the periphery of the fan case, into which channel the air is discharged directly and freely from the peripheral outlet slot 21 of the fan;

whence the air escapes through the tangen-v tial exhaust tube 25 in the usual manner. The exhaust tube 25 of thefan case may communicate with the first chamber or iiue of a stove or furnace, in or through which the fine iioating particles may be burned or discharged; or it may be extended for dis charging through a window or other opening, as may be desired. The upper and lower doors 29 and 30 are provided in the case, through which respective ,doors the screen may be cleaned and the deposited refuse removed.

' The lower wall 4 of the fan case extends inward around but not touching 'the inner edge portions of the lower wall 19 of the fan proper, thus forming a transverse partition substantially closing the upper end of the separating chamber from the cavity of the fan case, excepting onl throu h the annular opening Vof the inta e cham er 15 of the fan which constitutes the outlet from the separating chamber; and the upper wall 6 of the fan case, forming the bottom of the m0- tor case, serves to completely partition the vfan from. the motor, the overlapping annular ribs 26 and 27 being respectively provided on this partition and the upperl wall of the fan, to prevent any dust'from entering the lower bearing 28 of thespindle, which bearing may be formed integral with the transverse partition.

' The beneficial results which have been attained by providing a positive centrifugal power in proportion to the volume of air moved, which directly represents the amount of cleaning being done.

I claim:

l. An air cleaning apparatus comprising, in combination, a case having a separating chamber therein, a suction tube communicating with the upper part of the separating chamber, a suction nozzle at the free end of the tube having an inlet slot with surrounding lips adapted to contact directly With an objective surface, an exhaust tube, and a single stage two-wall centrifugal impeller having air passages of substantially uniform cross area, an axial inlet opening and a peripheral outlet slot, the said inlet opening of the impeller communicating directly With the upper part of the said separating chamber and the said outlet slot of the impeller communicating directly with the said exhaust tube.

2. An air cleaning apparatus comprising, in combination, a case having a vertically disposed separating chamber therein, a suction tube communicating with the separating chamber, a suction nozzle at the free end of the tube having a narrouv inlet slot, and a centrifugal impeller mounted on a` vertical axis at the top of the separating chamber having an axial inlet with a free passage communicating therewith, for eectlng a separation of dust from the air by gravity I power proportionedv With a consumption of to the movement of air. y

3. An air cleaning apparatus comprising in combination, a dust separating chamber of substantial volume and'of a sufficient depth below the air current to form a settling chamber, a suction nozzle communicating with the upper part of the separating chamber and having an inlet slot with surrounding lips adapted to Contact with an objective surface, and a centrifugal impeller having a free passageinlet and outlet and communicating With the upper part of the separating chamber automatically maintaining a working flow of air into the nozzle when the inlet slot is fully open and a substantially uniform limited vacuum at the nozzle when the inlet slot is open or closed, and also maintaining a uniformly rareied and quiescent condition of the air in the separating chamber and effecting therein a substantially complete separation of dust and other refuse from the air by the action ot' gravity, With a consumption of power directly varying in proportion to the movement of air.

CHARLES L'. GOUGHNOUR. In presence of- ELFRIEDE SCHMIDT, FERD J. JETTLER. 

